Making Clear What Is Hidden In Plain Sight

Remember That Time 10,000 People Killed 35,000 Jack Rabbits In One Afternoon Because We Changed The Weather?

In western Kansas during the mid-1930s, farmers over plowed the soil and it dried out and began to blow. This created dust storms and mass amounts of static electricity. With no vegetation, the area heated up to record temperatures.

The area was then plagued with hoards of black-tailed jackrabbits. Adults were capable of producing three to eight offspring every 32 days. The rabbits ate everything in their path. By 1935 the Wichita Beacon estimated there were 8,000,000 rabbits in 30 western Kansas counties.

Drives to control the rabbit population were held on Sunday afternoons in massive efforts covering several square miles. At the beginning of a drive, people lined up about every 20 to 30 feet. In the end, the rabbits were cornered and clubbed to death by the crowds.